Cablefax The Magazine August 2023 - 18

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Comcast's White Made Investing in Others a Priority
By Cathy Applefeld Olson
During his 11 years helming Comcast's West
Division from 2009-2020, Steve White oversaw
30,000 employees who served close to 10 million
customers and drove annual revenue of
nearly $18 billion.
Ask him the career milestone that most
stands out, though, and White-who's still part
of the Comcast family in his role as president,
special counsel to Comcast Cable CEO Dave
Watson-will tell you it was getting fired for
being too focused on his own success when
he was a young sales manager at a company
that sold medical supplies.
While his ambition was the natural byproduct
of being the eldest of four brothers raised
by a single mom who cleaned motel rooms to
pay the bills, that mindset didn't serve his team,
which faltered. " I thought early on in my career
my purpose was to make as much money as
possible so my extended family would never
be in poverty again, " he recounts. " But I was
so focused on me it got me fired, " he says.
Another exec at the company saw potential
in White and recruited him for his team.
" He said, 'If you continue to lead the way
you're leading, your potential will never be
realized. If you find a way to invest in others,
they will promote you.' I saw the way he
invested in people and people responded to
him. And that's when I realized why so many
people gave me a hand up, because I was
destined to create opportunities for others, "
White says.
The act of lifting others became the central
tenet of White's career. And it turned
out to be excellent for business at Comcast
West as well. The 13-state division thrived
across broadband, video and voice during
his tenure-all supported by a culture of collaboration
and White's keen knack for talent
development that's still paying dividends at
the company.
" I always started with individual conversations...
and then three times a year we would
review the top 150 talent to see how are they
progressing, where might they need help, "
he says. White also conducted 75-85 focus
groups with employees. Based on learnings,
White developed a program through which he
and his team would immerse 3,000 employees
at the supervisor level and above in a year of
accelerated training that included face time
with White in Denver.
" While it prepared our people, the biggest
message it sent was that we cared about them.
The most precious thing we have is time. So
when we invest time in people they pay it back
30 times over, and that's why today two of the
three presidents across Comcast are West division
progeny, " he says, referencing current
West chief Rich Jennings and Amy Lynch, who
heads the Northeast division.
" Steve believes in the power of collaboration,
helping individuals learn from one another
while pushing them outside their comfort
zone to achieve great things, " says Lynch. " In
turn, employees gain more confidence in their
abilities and want to take on more. "
Noting White " places the same emphasis,
intentionality and thoughtfulness into his relationships
with others as he does his business
plan, " Jennings says White understands the
significance of " presence " and " engagement "
as a leader and has taught him, " Don't stop
learning and seeking new knowledge and perspectives. "
Today
White has a hand in leadership development,
strategic planning, DEI and digital
equity. " Comcast started in 1963 and here we
are some 60 years later as one of the top 30
companies in America. To know I was a small
part of that fills my heart, " he says.
Outside of work, he keeps busy with writing
and speaking engagements, philanthropy, and
as an active father to a 10-year-old son.
" My child came along later in life, and I really
get to be a dad, " he says. " My definition of a dad
is being there. For a kid who grew up without a
dad, this is something that means a great deal
to me. "
18
August 2023
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